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. 1996 Jul 9;93(14):7042–7047. doi: 10.1073/pnas.93.14.7042

bcl-2 overexpression reduces apoptotic photoreceptor cell death in three different retinal degenerations.

J Chen 1, J G Flannery 1, M M LaVail 1, R H Steinberg 1, J Xu 1, M I Simon 1
PMCID: PMC38932  PMID: 8692941

Abstract

Apoptosis of photoreceptors occurs infrequently in adult retina but can be triggered in inherited and environmentally induced retinal degenerations. The protooncogene bcl-2 is known to be a potent regulator of cell survival in neurons. We created lines of transgenic mice overexpressing bcl-2 to test for its ability to increase photoreceptor survival. Bcl-2 increased photoreceptor survival in mice with retinal degeneration caused by a defective opsin or cGMP phosphodiesterase. Overexpression of Bcl-2 in normal photoreceptors also decreased the damaging effects of constant light exposure. Apoptosis was induced in normal photoreceptors by very high levels of bcl-2. We conclude that bcl-2 is an important regulator of photoreceptor cell death in retinal degenerations.

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